Common names: purslane, pusley, pursley, wild portulaca, common portulaca, little hooweed, low pigweed
Latin name: Portulaca oleracea L.
Family: Portulacaceae (Purslane family)
Life Cycle
Common purslane is a summer annual that extends along the ground with its thick, fleshy stems and leaves (Figure 1). Thanks to its ability to reproduce not only by seeds but also through stem fragments that can root at their nodes, common purslane grows and spreads easily. This plant has a main taproot with smaller, secondary fibrous roots (Figure 2). Seeds germinate from late May/early June through August when soil-surface temperatures are high, 86°F (30°C).
Figure 1. Common purslane has a mat-forming habit (Photo by C. Corado).
Figure 2. Common purslane taproot (Photo by C. Corado).
Identification
Leaves and stem
The first true leaves are long, fleshy, and smooth. They are green on the upper leaf surface and maroon-colored on the lower leaf surface (Figure 3). Leaves can be opposite or alternate on the stem. Leaves are smooth on top, rounded at the tips, and have no hairs. The stems are numerous and have many branches. Common purslane lies flat on the ground but turns up at the stem tips. Thanks to the succulent stems and leaves that serve as water storage organs, common purslane is drought tolerant.
Figure 3. Hairless, fleshy leaves with red margins of common purslane (Photo by C. Corado).
Flowers and Seeds
Yellow flowers appear on common purslane from July to September, about 4-6 weeks after seedlings emerge. These flowers grow individually in the leaf axils and branch junctions, where the branches meet, but they only open on sunny days (Figure 4). The fruit (Figure 5) is a small, oval capsule that opens by splitting across the middle. In fact, the genus name “Portulaca” is believed to be derived from the Latin word “portula”, meaning “little gate” in reference to how the purslane seed capsule opens to release its seeds. Purslane seeds are tiny (1 mm or less in diameter), black, flattened, rounded, or kidney-shaped, and have a bumpy surface.
Figure 4. Common purslane flowers (Photo by C. Corado).
Figure 5. Common purslane seed capsules containing hundreds of mature seeds. One capsule is encircle in red (Photo by C. Corado).
Fun Fact
Similar to dandelions, common purslane is edible. In fact, the second part of this species’ name (oleracea) is derived from the Latin word “oleraceus”, meaning “vegetable-like”. This plant is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and vitamin C. In many cultures, its used in salads, soups, and stews. Livestock fed large amounts of common purslane can develop nitrate and oxalate poisoning.
Management
- Cultivation: Cultivating the top 1 to 2 inches of soil with tillage two to four times after the soil warms can be highly effective at removing most of the purslane that will emerge during the season.
- Organic mulch: Common purslane tends to rot under continuously shady, humid conditions. A thick plant-based mulch can be used to control it. Similarly, dense crop planting helps control this weed in crops that will tolerate high-density plantings or those that close their canopy quickly.
- Cover crops: When applicable, cover crops can be utilized for common purslane management. This can include fall-planted cover crops, such as cereal rye, that are terminated in a manner that leaves their residue on the soil surface to act as a mulch. Alternatively, summer cover crops can be utilized if they fit into your farm’s rotation strategy. Summer cover crops that grow taller than the common purslane will outcompete it for light. For help choosing a cover crop, we recommend the Midwest Cover Crop Council selector tool: mwcc (midwestcovercrops.org)
- Plastic mulch: Acting as a physical barrier, plastic mulch prevents germinating common purslane seedlings from reaching the soil surface, except for in planting holes.
- Silage tarps: Silage tarps prevent weeds from receiving sunlight. They will work well for common purslane seedlings.
- Hand-weeding, hoeing, and cultivation: Common purslane seedlings can easily be removed by hand or hoe, but established plants will need to be removed from the field. Otherwise, they are still capable of producing seeds and re-rooting at their nodes.
- Flame weeding: Use flame weeding to control common purslane in its seedling stage. Flaming will not control large common purslane unless unusually long exposure times are used.
- Herbicides: The best time to control common purslane is in the spring or early summer when the plant is young. Pre-emergence and non-selective post-emergence herbicides can be applied to control common purslane. Visit the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide (mwveguide.org) to learn which herbicides are labeled for the crops you intend to grow.
References
Mohler, C., Teasdale, J., & DiTommaso, A. (2022). Manage weeds on your farm- a guide to ecological strategies.
Neal, J., Uva, R., DiTomaso, J., & DiTomasso, A. (2023). Weeds of the Northeast (2nd ed.). Cornell University Press.